This document summarizes the keynote presentation "What's Your Unfair Advantage?" given by Dean Shareski at the ConnectED 2015 conference in Niagara Falls, Ontario. The presentation discusses how teaching is an art rather than just content delivery. It encourages teachers to find their "unfair advantage," such as being an interesting person or caring deeply for students, to excel and feel fulfilled in their work. A number of teachers from across Canada are then profiled who exemplify bringing passion and care to their teaching practice.

1. The Great Canadian Educator
“What’s Your Unfair Advantage?”
Dean Shareski
Discovery Education
May 8, 2015
ConnectedED 2015
Niagara Falls, ON

2. Dean Shareski
@shareski
http://shareski.ca
dean_shareski@discovery.com

3. In 30% of Canadian Schools

5. Is Teaching a Science or an Art?

6. “…teaching is an art form. It’s not a delivery system.
I don’t know when we started confusing teaching with
FedEx. Teaching is an arts practice. It’s about
connoisseurship and judgment and intuition.”
Sir Ken Robinson

7. http://ideasandthoughts.org/2014/04/23/teachers-as-artists/

8. What is your “unfair” advantage?
or

9. “one of the best things
you can do for your
students is to be an
interesting adult”
Gary Stager

11. “We needed to deliver something more, give
the viewers another reason to tune in.”
“...it was a show about people who loved what
they were doing, who were informed, but who
were also trying to bring a smile and a laugh to
their audience.”

12. Roy Norris
High School English
Winnipeg, MB
...And this is all we know so far

14. http://discoveryeducation.ca/community
http://www.discoveryeducation.com/teacherweek/2015/

16. Diana Williams
Grade 3/4
Surrey, BC
@teacherdiana
http://teacherdiana.com/

17. “I trust them to do their own learning”

20. Kristi Blakeway
Principal
Maple Ridge, BC
@kblakeway
http://hopefullearning.com
http://www.beyondhello.org/
!

21. “We’ve reunited over 500 homeless
with their families”

24. Jared Heidinger
High School Science
Lethbridge,AB
@jheiding
http://jaredsclasses.weebly.com/
!

25. “..he carries that lesson – striking a balance
between clowning and control – into his own
teaching practice.”

29. Kelli Holden
Grade 4
Stony Plain, AB
@kelliholden
https://kelliholden.wordpress.com/

32. Kathy Cassidy
Grade 1/2
Moose Jaw, SK
@kathycassidy
http://kathycassidy.com

35. Andrew Mead
Principal
Winnipeg, MB
@andrewmead73
!

38. Rola Tibshirani
Grade 5/6
Ottawa, ON
@rolat
http://learningprogession.blogspot.ca/
!

40. Designer Guide
Instructor
Creative Commons – Attribution (CC BY 3.0)
Teacher designed by Musavvir Ahmed from the Noun Project
Creative Commons – Attribution (CC BY 3.0)
Education designed by Travis Yunis from the Noun Project

41. I don’t think it’s possible today to be an effective
teacher, let alone a great one, without a deep
commitment to care. That’s certainly not the only
trait but without it, I don’t see much chance of
success or fulfillment. The teachers I know who
love their job care deeply for children.

42. What’s Your Unfair Advantage?

43. Dean Shareski
@shareski
dean_shareski@disoverycom